Chapter 15

AFTERMATH

"Raven... You did it." A female's voice said, though it was somewhat hard to hear.

"Where am I? Did I survive?" Raven asked as he opened his eyes slowly, the bright light of the room was shattered by the loose strands of hair that fell over his face. Raven lifted up his left hand to brush the hair away, then slowly sat up. "A hospital?" he muttered as he narrowed his eyes. He looked down at his hand, which was bandaged. Clenching his fist, he soon twitched from the pain he felt in his hand.

"I'm alive... the planet is safe." He closed his eyes. He laid his hand on his head and felt a bandage wrapped around his forehead.

"You know, you really shouldn't move it. It's fractured," said the voice again. Raven looked around, still unable to see too clear. "Your hand, it's fractured," she said again. Raven looked up, and there stood Reese in his doorway. His eyes widened and he tilted his head as he reluctantly replied, "Reese… What happened?"

She then explained to him how the Earth Government got rid of all traces of the Lucifer Dragon, and that the space satellite was destroyed. A new Kisaragi was forming under the wing of Mishima for medical purposes. Roger made his was back to Paradigm Layered as well.

"What about the Dalriadan?" Raven asked.

Reese walked to Raven from the doorway and sat next to him in his bed. "It'll need extensive repairs, but he'll be fine."

Raven Cross nodded and looked to her "Well... what now?" Reese suddenly leaned up against Raven and stared him in the eyes. "Wha... Uh, Reese..." Raven replied, as if surprised.

"Raven, don't ever do that again. You shouldn't just go off all suicidal like that..." Raven kind of jumped in surprise, but then reluctantly placed his hand on her back. She lied her head against his chest and sighed.

"Reese, I..."

Interrupting his sentence Reese replied, "Okay, I'll have to go and see about my AC's repairs. Lexington's already seeing about it. See ya later!" Reese quickly jumped up and walked out of the door. Raven fell over from his bed. "What the...?! What was that about? Gah... what was I just thinking..." The sheets fell over his face as he lied there confused.

Raven then stood slowly, weary of his minor injuries. He scratched his head, contemplating for a few seconds. "Feh... Whatever."

He walked to his hospital window and gazed out of it. He saw Lexington below him standing with his back up against a wall, outside of a nearby garage. Reese soon walked up to him, said something, then walked inside. Raven looked up at the sky, and in the distance, saw a black bird flying off into the sky.

"Is that… a raven?" A small grin appeared on his face and he tilted his head and closed his eyes. "Ha! Fate seems to have it's own sense of irony. Well, it seems that I've survived… somehow." Raven turned and walked to the closet in the corner of the hospital room. He opened it and pulled out his crimson uniform, slid on his boots, and walked for the door. "Gustave, I salute your courage. I know you're not dead, and I hope to have another duel."

***

In a far off section of space, a small chuck of the space weapons satellite made it's way to Mars. With it's current course, it should take about three months. The reactor explosion gave it plenty of propellant power.

Three months... that was nothing without food or water. Two beings rested in the last life-supported deck, one dead, the other couldn't die. Fate seemed to force the two together. "Oh yes..." said Gustave, looking over to his beloved Alicia in the copilot's seat, "We'll go there together... to Polaris."

The End...